Betrayal
by BobTheBasilisk
Summary: James Potter is alive and a Deatheater. Is this what's going to finally break Harry? Not if Severus Snape can help it. Not slash. Set in OOTP. Summary is bad but please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hi! The idea for this fanfic just kinda popped into my head. It's not that good but hopefully, with your helpful advice and reviews, I can improve on my writing. I dislocated my knee the other day and my leg is in a cast so I've been writing on my phone so please excuse grammatical, spelling or formatting errors. I'll correct them as soon as I can. Please review and if it wouldn't take too much of your time, could you please read my other fanfics and tell me on how to improve on those as well? Pretty please? :3 Thanks so much for reading!**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, hands clasped together. Severus Snape had sent an owl an hour before, saying he had important information about Lord Voldemort and the Potters' death. His letter seemed to be written hastily and angrily, several holes in the paper where he had pressed the quill too hard.

Dumbledore was completely confused. Lily and James Potter were killed by Lord Voldemort 14 years ago. Lord Voldemort had tried to kill their fifteen month old son, Harry, but the Killing Curse rebounded, killing himself instead. Harry was then known as the The Boy Who Lived. He was already about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. Every witch and wizard alive knew this. What else was there to add about their deaths?  
There was definitely a lot of information about Lord Voldemort to be added, however. He had been reborn the previous year and Severus returned to his side as a spy, providing all available information to Dumbledore and The Order.

Dumbledore sighed. He was starting to grow impatient. If it was that important, he needed to know _now._ It was already midnight.  
Finally, his fire place lit up and Severus stepped out, looking simply furious and frustrated.

"Potter... Alive... Wasn't his body..." Severus panted, clutching his chest.

"My dear boy, what are you talking about? Of course Harry is alive." said Dumbledore. He walked towards Severus and held his arm, supporting him up.

"Not _him_. That James Potter._He _is alive." Severus said, shaking with anger.

"But, Severus, how is that possible? And why, exactly, is this a bad thing? I know you never liked him but-"

Severus just walked over to the headmaster's pensieve, raised his wand to his head and seemed to pull out a silvery liquid-like substance and dropped it into the pensieve.

Severus looked over to Dumbledore, raising an eyebrow as if to say "Well? Go on then."  
Dumbledore sighed and walked over to the pensieve, submerged his head into it and plummeted to the bottom. He found himself in a dimly lit room and standing in front of him was Lord Voldemort. He looked around the room and saw only two other people. Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange . Severus entered the room quietly, bowed to Voldemort and said "You wished to see me, my Lord?". His eyes flickered over to Lucius and Bellatrix.

"Ah Severus, so glad you could join us. As I was saying to Lucius and Bellatrix, you three have been very useful servants to me despite the one or two failures," his piercing glare moved to Lucius who flinched slightly before continuing. "And I suppose I can trust you all to not repeat what I am about to reveal."

Severus and Lucius looked slightly stunned as they muttered "Yes, my Lord." but Bellatrix looked completely eager and somewhat bloodthirsty.

"As you all know, on the night of my supposed 'downfall', I killed Lily and James Potter. Or at least, it looked like I killed them."  
The others in the room had a look of utter confusion on their face. Dumbledore, however, had a grave expression on his face.  
Voldemort began to speak in Parseltongue and Nagini slithered into the room, a hooded figure following close behind.

"I would like you all to meet Prongs."  
The figure slowly pulled down his hood. It was James Potter.  
Dumbledore looked at Severus. His mouth was opened in shock and his onyx eyes filled with pain.  
James smirked at Severus.

"Well, hello there Sni-" James sneered.

"Don't you dare, you arrogant bastard!" Severus interrupted in a tone that could turn milk sour.

"Severus, Prongs, leave your childish arguments for another time. They might be entertaining but it's rather time consuming. Now, where were we? Ah, you see, Prongs here has been a Deatheater since the first time I approached him. That foolish Mudblood, of course, was not so Prongs' true loyalties were kept in secret."

Voldemort was now glancing at Severus who had noticeably flinched at what Lily was called. He continued, still looking in his direction.

" The body found was not his but the body of Evan Rosier under Polyjuice Potion. Prongs has been hiding in Animagus form ever since. No one has suspected anything. He shall be very useful. We shall use him as a way to break Harry Potter."

And the memory ended. Dumbledore found himself back into his office, staring into the pale face of Severus Snape.

"This is going to kill Harry. Should we tell him?" Severus asked, voice shaking.

"He will find out eventually. It will be better if he finds out from us." Dumbledore replied gravely. "But we should not tell him yet. He is still greatly affected by what happened before term ended."

It was still hard to talk about what happened. Cedric Diggory was killed. Voldemort was reborn. Most of his servants returned. The second wizarding war had begun.

"The thing is, _how _do we tell him?"

* * *

Little did they know, Harry was lying awake in cold sweat, still shaking over his latest dream and only one thought could be formed in his mind.  
_My father is a Death Eater._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Hello! I can't believe people actually like this story. I'm blushing :D Anyway, I don't really like this chapter. I don't know if I am going to change it. Please read it and tell me whether I should change it. Thanks so much for reading this! 3**

"Harry, wake up. It's already time for lunch. Mrs Weasley is getting really worried."

Hermione's soft voice woke Harry from his nightmare filled slumber. He turned on his side to look at her. Hermione gasped when she got a proper look at his face.

"Harry! You're so pale and your forehead! It's bleeding!"

Harry's hand flew to his bedside table and grabbed his glasses. As he put them on, he caught sight of his fingernails. They were caked with dried blood.

"Harry, did you do that to yourself?" She said slowly, watching him clearly.

"I guess I did. I mean, my scar was hurting again..." He stopped himself. He could not tell Hermione the truth. It hurt too much to just think about it. Saying it aloud would just make it seem real.  
_And besides, there is a possibility it was just a dream. Nothing more. _He told himself.

"Was it You-Know-Who again? Did you have another nightmare?"

Harry shrugged in reply.  
"Dunno. Don't remember. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go wash my face."  
He got up quickly and walked to the bathroom, leaving a stunned Hermione staring after him.

When Harry finally entered the bathroom, he sighed and held onto the sink to stop himself from falling down. He felt like crying, vomiting and fainting at the same time.  
"Shit. Shit. Shit." He cursed as he looked into the mirror. He really did look like shit.  
His scar and the skin surrounding it were scratched till it was just raw flesh. He looked deathly pale and sweaty. He sighed and started to wash his face, imagining everyone's expressions when they saw his forehead. Looking at himself made scenes from his dream flash in his head. His father pulling down his hood, smirking with that evil glint in his eyes. His stomach lurched and he bent over the toilet, vomiting out what little food was in his stomach.  
He thought about casting a glamour on himself but figured he was already in enough trouble for defending himself and Dudley against the Dementors. His hearing was already the next day.  
He sighed heavily and walked to the kitchen, a heavy feeling in his chest.

"Ah, Harry! You're finally awake! Would you like some lu-" Mrs Weasley stopped talking as she saw Harry's bloody forehead, her eyes widened in shock.  
"H-harry, how... Sirius! Please come in here now!" She shouted while staring at Harry the whole time.  
"Mrs Weasley, please. It's not a big deal." Harry started but was interrupted by footsteps and Sirius' voice, clearly annoyed.  
"What is it Molly? I already said I wouldn't go with Harry tomor-" He, like Molly, stopped talking as soon as he saw his forehead.  
"Harry, what the hell happened?" Sirius practically shouted.

" I-i just scratched my head in my sleep, that's all."

"_Scratched? _It looks like you freaking grated it!" Sirius walked to Harry and pushed his fringe back to examine his forehead closer.

"Tell me what happened." Sirius said, still staring at his forehead.  
"Honestly, I have no idea. M-my scar was hurting in my sleep. I must have just scratched it a little too hard."  
Harry said tiredly, sighing.

Sirius looked him in the eyes. Slowly, he nodded. He was hurt. There was definitely more to it that Harry did not want to tell him about. He turned his back on Harry and walked to Mrs Weasley, muttering something to her before leaving the room.

Mrs Weasley walked over to Harry and whipped out her wand, pointed it to his forehead and muttered an incantation under her breath. Harry raised his hand to his forehead and smiled weakly.

"Uh thanks..."

She just smiled sadly and walked away.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty is finally awake!" shouted a voice behind him.

Harry turned around and found Ron and Hermione walking towards him. Ron was grinning and Hermione was looking at Harry carefully.

"Mate, what's up with you? You look half-dead."

"I just feel kinda tired. Um, have you two eaten yet?"

"No, we were waiting for you to get up. Come on."  
They walked to the dining table where three plates of food were left to cool.

"Harry, dear, this plate is yours" Mrs Weasley said, thrusting the plate with the most food in his hands.

Harry muttered a thanks, sat down and put his plate on the table, making no attempt to eat it. The others started eating, occasionally glancing at Harry.

"So, where is everyone else?" Harry asked, now playing with his food.

"Oh, um, I'm not sure exactly. I think they're adding more protection charms on Hogwarts or something." Hermione said awkwardly.

"Yes, they are. Dumbledore decided to improve school security for this year." Mrs Weasley said while patting Harry on the back. "Now eat up, dear."

Harry nodded and took a small bite of chicken. He chewed slowly and as soon as the food hit his stomach, he gagged. He got up and ran to the toilet as quietly as he could to avoid the portraits shouting.

While he was vomiting, his scar started burning. He heard a soft hissing voice in his head which slowly turned into two voices.

_Yes, my Lord? _The first voice said.

_Prongs, the boy has a hearing with the Ministry tomorrow._ _Follow him.__Find out the verdict. L_ord Voldemort's cold voice made Harry's skin crawl.

_Of course, my Lord._

Harry choked on the bile rising up in his throat. He had a coughing fit which reduced him to tears. He just sat on the cold bathroom floor, crying.

The last things he heard were footsteps and someone shouting his name then he passed out.

About five hours later, Harry woke up in bed. He was still wearing his glasses. Ron and Hermione were standing over him, worried expressions plastered on their faces.

"Harry! How are you feeling?" They said at the same time.

"I'm freezing." Harry simply replied.

"I'll go get another blank-"

"No. Don't. Listen, when is the next time Dumbledore will be here?" Harry paused thoughtfully then continued. "Or Snape. When will they be here?"

"W-well, I think Snape is still downstairs. They just had a meeting. Why do you want to talk to him?" Hermione said slowly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Harry did not reply. He jumped off the bed and ran down to the kitchen where the Order was having their meeting. He heard footsteps behind him but he didn't stop until he was right in front of the door. He banged on the door.

"Is Professor Snape in there?" Harry shouted, still banging on the door. "Professor Snape! Professor!"

The door opened and a flustered Mrs Weasley stood in the doorway. Ron nd Hermione finally got to the kitchen and tried to calm Harry down.

"Get off me! Mrs Weasley, is Snape there? I have to talk to him. It's urgent."

Before Mrs Weasley could respond, a dark figure stood behind her.

"Potter. What is so bloody important that you feel the need to interrupt our meeting?" Snape drawled.

Harry visibly flinched at the sound of his last name.

_Well damn. He knows. _Snape thought.

Harry just stared at him, eyes narrowed.

"It's true isn't it? He really is..." Harry trailed off and looked up at Snape, eyes full of pain.

Snape could not look into his eyes. _Her _eyes. He merely raised an eyebrow.

"For the love of God! Just tell me dammit!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. And you will remember to watch that temper, you rude, insolent brat." Snape hissed at him.  
"Now, I must leave. I have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore."

And with a small crack, Professor Snape was gone. Harry was on the verge of tears again. Ron, Hermione and the other members of the Order were trying to calm him down. He ignored them.

"GOD DAMMIT!" He yelled and he punched the wall as hard as he could, causing his bones to break. And then he could hear the voices in his head again.

_Yes Prongs? _Lord Voldemort said, amused.

_He will die this year, my Lord. I will make sure of it.  
_

* * *

"He knows, Albus."

"Tomorrow. We shall talk to him tomorrow." Dumbledore said, sighing

_"__We?" _Severus sneered. " I will not talk to that bloody rude brat about his complete traitor of a father." Dumbledore looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I may have told the Prophecy to the Dark Lord but I would have never given up my family to him willingly. It's absolutely disgusting."

" Well, just imagine how Harry is feeling. He believed his father to have been a brave man who died for his family but his beliefs have been forced to change overnight. Show some sympathy at least."

"I don't show sympathy. But fine, I will be there tomorrow. At least he'll get it through his thick head that his father wasn't the brave Gryffindor he believed him to be."

" Severus, my dear boy, please try to not rub the fact that is father is Death Eater in his face. It will be hard enough for him as it is. Now, go back to Spinners End and try to get some sleep. I will Floo you after the hearing. Goodbye and good night Severus."

Severus just nodded curtly and apparated home, where he fell into a nightmare and pain filled slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Hello! Thanks to everyone who read, favourited, followed and reviewed this story! So, I don't really know whether I should keep this chapter either. I kinda have mixed feelings about it. Please review or PM if I should change anything in the chapter or change the whole thing. And I apologise for any grammatical or spelling errors. Thanks again!**

_I will bring him to you, my Lord. The boy will die. _A familiar voice said, eagerly.

_You have been a great servant, Prongs. You shall be rewarded._

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he groaned when he realised what happened. He lost it. He had a complete breakdown and from the looks of it, he passed out for the second time that day.

"Oh bloody hell." Harry muttered.

The pain in his hand subsided but it still ached slightly and his scar was stinging. He turned on his side and saw Ron asleep on the floor.

"Oi, Ron, get up. What the hell are you doing on the floor?" Harry whispered as he attempted to get up. He felt so unbelievably weak. He managed to sit up on the bed and nudged Ron with his foot.

Ron muttered something about spiders eating his chicken but made no attempt to actually wake up. Harry sighed and struggled to stand up. When he finally managed to stand up, his legs shook violently and he fell to his knees, swearing loudly.

"Huh? Wha just appened? Harry! You're awake!" Ron exclaimed sleepily.

"Yeah, I just got up. So, why exactly are you asleep on the floor?"

"Oh um, sorry. I was supposed to be watching you in case you woke up but I kinda fell asleep. Why are you on the floor?"

"I fell. Could you help me get up? I can't really move."

"Oh yeah right. Hold on." Ron said while trying to get up.

As Ron steadied himself, they heard a loud _crack_ and Fred and George appeared, grinning.

"Well, hello there mate. What're you doing on the floor?" Fred asked as they both offered their hands to Harry.

He grabbed both of their hands and forced himself to stand up straight. His legs still shook and they made him sit back down.

"You didn't eat anything and well, I'm pretty sure you tired yourself out after..." Ron trailed off and looked slightly awkward. "Just don't over-exert yourself."

Harry remained quiet and stared at his feet. The three others in the room shuffled uncomfortably until Ron cleared his throat.

"Harry, what happened exactly? Hermione told me your scar was hurting again. Was it You-Know-Who?" Harry just remained silent.

"Look, mate, I'm really worried. We all are. You should have seen Dumbledore. I had never seen him so concerned."

Harry's head snapped up at hearing the headmaster's name.

"Wait, Dumbledore was here? Did he say anything? He isn't still here is he? What about Snape?"

"It's five in the morning, Harry. They left ages ago. Mate, what's so important that you need to talk to Dumbledore and that greasy git? You could always talk to me or Hermione."

Harry just shook his head. They would not understand. Their parents were not dead. Or Death Eaters. He shuddered at that thought.

_At least Mum didn't hate me. Well, she probably does now since I practically killed her. I always believed my "father" was a good man. Funny how that turned out._ Harry laughed bitterly causing the Weasleys in the room to exchange worried glances.

"I need to speak to Dumbledore or Snape. Now." Harry said suddenly and attempted to get up again.

"Don't! You're too weak, Harry! Look, I'll go get mum and dad alright? Just stay there."

Harry sat on his bed staring at the Weasley twins. They both felt unnerved at the glassy look in Harry's eyes. His face remained an emotionless mask.

"Harry dear! How are you feeling?" Mrs Weasley asked as she hurried to him, Mr Weasley following close behind.

"I need to speak to Dumbledore and Snape. Right now. Well, before we leave for the hearing at least."

"Harry, dear, I don't think that's a good idea. It's five in the morning..."

"Please, Mrs Weasley. I just can't... I have to talk to them." Harry said desperately, on the verge of tears.

"Well, I suppose I could Floo call Severus. I'm not sure where Dumbledore is though. I mean, Severus might know but Harry, don't get your hopes up. They might not be able to come..." Mr Weasley said as gently as he could.

"Tell them it's important. Tell them it's about Voldemort." Harry said simply, ignoring their flinches.

Mr and Mrs Weasley walked out sleepily and Harry could not help but feel guilty. Maybe he should have just shut up and learned to live with the nightmares. He felt even more guilty when Ron sat down next to him and the twins sat in front of him, looks of concern on their faces. They should be asleep! Not worrying about him or his stupid nightmares.

After ten minutes of complete silence, they heard footsteps and jumped up when Severus Snape stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Potter." He spat out, almost smirking when Harry flinched at sound of his last name.  
"What is so bloody important that you feel the need to call me from my house at five in the morning?"

"Where is Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said quietly, ignoring his question.

"Ah, Harry my boy, how are you feeling?" Said a voice behind Snape said cheerily. It was, of course, Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor. I need to talk to both you now. Alone" He added glancing at the Weasleys in the room.

They left the room quickly and closed the door quietly.

Harry took a deep breath and looked up to both of them.

"I-i had this dream. It was Voldemort, obviously but..." Harry stopped and looked down at his feet, unable to continue.  
Dumbledore walked over to him and sat down next to him, patting his back.  
After a minute, he looked at Snape with tears streaming down his face.

"H-he really is a-alive isn't he? My _father_. And h-he wants to k-kill me."  
Snape just looked at him gravely and nodded. Harry broke down into sobs and his whoke body started shaking.  
Snape felt a great pain in his chest. As much as he hated the boy, he did not like seeing how badly the revelation had affected him.

"W-why does everyone want to kill me? Should I just do it? Should I just die?"

Dumbledore was at a loss for words. Harry could not possibly be suicidal...

"Pfft, Potter, you dying would do no one any good. And besides, judging by the many times you have escaped Death's icy grip, you are incapable of dying." Snape said.

Strangely, Harry laughed and tried to stop crying.

"He's gonna be following me tomorrow. To the hearing. Voldemort asked him to."

"Well, it's a good thing we'll be going with you then."

"Excuse me? I did not agree to that! Why the hell do I have to follow Mr Potter?" Snape growled "I was hoping to get some sleep at least."

This was a lie of course. Snape could not close his eyes without seeing the many deaths and tortures he witnesses at Death Eater meetings. Well, that among other things.

"Sir, I'm sorry I'm interrupting your sleep but could you please not call me that anymore? I don't really want to be associated with _him_ anymore."

Snape looked at him with narrowed eyes and nodded curtly and he looked at Dumbledore who raised an eyebrow. He cleared his throat and tried to speak gently.

"Could you tell us about your dreams, Pot-Harry?"

"Cedric dying. Voldemort fighting me. A weird door. My father telling Voldemort he'll make sure I die this year. The usual." He replied bitterly.

Snape's and Dumbledore's eyes met. Weird door? Was he dreaming of the Department of Mysteries?

"Well, I'm sure Severus has a few Dreamless Sleep potions he could spare."

"That won't make a difference. I hear them when I'm awake too." He looked thoughtful for a while then continued.  
"I'm sorry but if you don't mind, I'd like to get a bit more sleep before the hearing. Despite sleeping all day, I'm unbelievably exhausted."

"Of course" Said Dumbledore and got up from the bed and followed Snape out of the room.

Harry lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. The blood was pounding in his head and his scar burned. He raised his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes.

_The boy will die this year, my Lord. I'll make sure of it._..


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hello! I apologise for not updating in such a long time. My exams are over and I'll have June off so hopefully I'll be able to update more often The past few weeks have been pretty bad and I'm finding it really hard to write nowadays so I'm sorry if this chapter is really bad. Any constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for reading!

"Albus, you do realise that I will be punished if I'm seen with The Bloody Boy Who Lived?" hissed Snape.

Snape had to talk softly so he could not be heard by Harry, Arthur Weasley and the Squib who witnessed the Dementor attack. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Harry was pale as a ghost and trembling.

"Severus, he is the one who assigned you to be a 'spy'. You're only doing what he ordered." Dumbledore said quietly.

"And if _he_ really does follow us today and he attacks Harry, I won't be able to help the boy. You must realise that."

"Don't be ridiculous. He wouldn't attack in the middle of The Ministry."

"Ah, Arthur, I forgot to mention, the venue of the hearing has been changed to Courtroom Ten and it starts in ten minutes." Dumbledore added in a louder voice, looking over at Arthur.

"W-what? Why is it _there_?" Arthur spluttered.

"What? What's Courtroom Ten?" Harry said, anxiously.

"It's nothing to worry about Harry but we should head down there now." Dumbledore said gently, giving Harry a reassuring smile.

Harry, needless to say, did not look assured. His gaze kept flickering warily to each witch and wizard they walked past.

_How is he going to follow us? He has to be using Polyjuice Potion or maybe he has another Invisibility Cloak..._  
The ways _he_ could be following them seemed to be endless and Harry could not stop thinking about them, making him much more nervous.

They took the elevator down to the Department of Mysteries and walked down the stairs to Courtroom Ten.

"Severus, you will have to stay out here with Arthur. Mrs Figg, I will call for you later." Dumbledore said, leading Harry into the Courtroom.  
As they closed the door behind them, Mr Weasley exhaled heavily.

"Is it really the whole Wizengamot? Does Fudge want him expelled that badly?" Mr Weasley asked.

Severus just nodded in reply. Fudge was losing it. He was so desperate to make everyone believe Harry was crazy.

After a few minutes, an elderly wizard ran up to them. He was panting and was red in the face from running.

"Ah, Perkins, what seems to be the problem?" Arthur asked.

"There's been five more regurgitating toilets in Bethnal Green. We have to go now." Perkins said.

Arthur looked at Severus, apologised and followed Perkins who was already running back to his office.

As soon as they had left, the courtroom door opened and the third Weasley boy stood there, avoiding eye contact with Severus.

"Are you the witness?" He said to Mrs Figg who nodded slightly. "Come in. You are to give your witness account now."

The Squib shuffled into the courtroom. Severus closed his eyes and sighed. He was so tired. And so worried. If he was seen, if he was known to be a spy for Dumbledore, Voldemort would take great pleasure in torturing him more than he already did.

When he opened his eyes, a tall man with chestnut brown hair stood across him. He had a round face and thin lips that were twisted into a smirk.

"Hello, Snivellus. Fine day we're having huh?"

Ugh. The boy was right. _He _followed them to the hearing.

"Prongs, you utter moron... Polyjuice Potion, I assume?" Severus said, eyebrow raised. He continued as Prongs nodded.  
"Why exactly are you here? You cannot be seen. In case you forgot, you're supposed to be dead."

"Polyjuice remember?" He paused and looked at the courtroom doors, a curious expression on his face. "How do you stand it? Seeing The Boy Who Lived and not hexing him?"

"A lot of self-control." Severus replied sarcastically. "How do you stand being the _father_ of The Boy Who Lived? You might like to know that he's as arrogant and stupid as you."

Prongs's smirk vanished and he walked over to Severus slowly. He now stood only a few inches away with narrowed eyes and clenched fists. He looked positively menacing with his teeth bared but Severus remained emotionless as they stared each other down.

"I know, Snivellus." He snarled. "I know you're Dumbledore's man."

"Are you saying you do not agree with The Dark Lord's judgment?" Severus said, raising an eyebrow. "You surely can't be _that _stupid. The Dark Lord trusts me and I am his greatest servant."

Prongs grimaced slightly and looked at Severus with eyes full of pure loathing.

"The others might not trust me but it's _you_ I do not trust. You better watch out, Snivelly. I can control myself from killing _Harry _but that is only because the Dark Lord wants to do it himself. But if you are revealed to be unfaithful, I will not hesitate to kill you." He spat out, eyes never moving from Severus' expressionless face. Then, he laughed an insane laugh that reminded Severus of Bellatrix's evil cackle.

Severus just glared at him like he was nothing more than a slimy slug stuck on the bottom of his shoe.

"Well, I should probably leave here. Too risky to hang around here don't you think? Considering I'm 'dead'." He cocked his head to the side. "Funny how they never realised the truth. Especially that stupid Mudblood."

Severus froze and tried to hide the anger from being evident on his face. Prongs, head still tilted, smirked and laughed in his face.

"Oh, I forgot, you loved- no, you were obsessed with her. " He hissed, mocking.

Suddenly, the court doors opened and Harry and Dumbledore stepped out, both grinning. Harry still looked pale and his hands were shaking but he seemed remarkably better.

"Professor! I've been cleared of all charges!" Harry said, walking over. Then, he looked over to who Severus was talking to and his smile was replaced by a confused frown.  
"Um who-who're you?"

Prongs just stared at him with hostile eyes. Slowly, he licked his lips and stepped forward; he was now standing in front of him, eyes never leaving Harry's face. He raised his hand to Harry's forehead and pushed his fringe back. Harry flinched at his touch and realisation dawned on his face. His body started to tremble again and the fear was evident in his emerald eyes. Dumbledore stiffened and whipped out his wand;holding it at Prongs's throat.

Prongs just turned around swiftly and walked away from them, laughing like a maniac.  
_

" The Order will have to be informed. Tonight." said Severus. "The boy needs to have more protection than usual. Even at Hogwarts."

They were standing outside Harry's bedroom at headquarters; talking in hushed voices.

"I know. But do you really think tonight would be a good idea? Harry just saw him. He is emotionally unstable." Said Dumbledore, sighing.

"Molly wants to throw a bloody party to celebrate. Do you really think that's a good idea?" Said Severus with a disbelieving look on his face. "Like you said, he's emotionally unstable. You can't force him to smile and converse when he can barely stand without trembling. That's absurd."

Dumbledore sighed. Severus was right, of course. The very mention of a party had made Harry blanch.

"Very well, I see your point. Please inform Molly that there is to be an Order meeting tonight. Not a party." Dumbledore said. "I will need to talk to Harry."

Severus turned around and walked away without another word. Dumbledore knocked on the bedroon door and entered after hearing a muffled "Come in".

Harry was sitting on his bed, staring at a small crack in the wall. His eyes were red and puffy and his hands were clenched into fists. He didn't look up as Dumbledore entered but nodded slightly as if in greeting.

"Hello, Harry. How are you feeling?"

He replied with a shrug; still staring at the same crack.

"Harry, I need to inform the Order of the information we have acquired. I understand you might not agree but it is for your own safety. We will be having a meeting tonight."

"I-I guess I understand. But... Could Ron and Hermione be there too? I want them to know but I don't think I can tell them myself."

"Of course, Harry. But I think it would be best if you attend as well. Sirius is already unstable as it is and I don't think he'll take this news well. You'll be the only one he'll want to talk to."

Of course. He had to be there to comfort someone else.

Harry finally looked up at Dumbledore. His face was a cross between pain and confusion. Then his head turned back and he continued to stare at the crack in the wall.

"Alright. But I won't be talking about that treacherous bastard."

Dumbledore sighed.  
"Of course. You won't have to. I'll do all the talking."

And without another word from either of them, Dumbledore walked out; leaving Harry still staring at the crack.  
He sat there till Ron and Hermione called him for dinner hours later.

Dinner was quiet. Harry barely ate a morsel of food and Ron and Hermione kept exchanging worried looks. Halfway through, Dumbledore arrived and Mrs Weasley tried to shoo Harry, Ron and Hermione from the kitchen but Dumbledore held up a hand to stop them.

"Actually, Molly, I will need them present for this particular meeting." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"B-but they're still underage!"

"They need to be here Molly. Just for tonight."

Mrs Weasley just nodded and started pacing around the room. Ron and Hermione stared at Harry curiously but did not question him. In just a few minutes, a few familiar members of the Order arrived and Dumbledore, Mad-eye, Kingsley, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Arthur, Molly, Severus, Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the kitchen. Some standing; others sitting.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and all heads turned to him. Just as he was about to speak, Fred and George burst in the kitchen. Their faces were as red as their hair.

"This is just unfair! Why can Ron be here and we can't?" Fred shouted at Mes Weasley, ignoring the other wizards in the room

"We're of age, Mum!" George added.

Before Mrs Weasley could throw them out, Dumbledore turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow. Harry nodded in reply.

"They may stay Molly."

Mrs Weasley looked absolutely furious while Fred and George looked smug and slightly shocked.

"Now, I apologise for arranging this meeting in such short notice. But we have acquired some new information about Voldemort." He paused as the others winced. "And the deaths of Lily and James Potter."

Instead of wincing at 'Voldemort', Harry winced at the mention of his father. Harry's hand was clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white.

"It appears that James Potter is alive."

The whole room was stunned silent. Sirius stared in disbelief. There was no way James could be alive and would not attempt to see him or Harry. He could not be alive.

"How... Where is he?" He asked slowly.

Harry took a deep breath and braced himself for Dumbledore's answer. He was acting silly and he knew it but to hear the truth about _him_ aloud would be too much to bear.

"I'll be blunt about this...James Potter is a Death Eater. "

Gasps filled the room and Harry felt sick. He grabbed onto a chair for support and sat on it, his body trembling. Everyone was staring at him.

"But, Dumbledore, that can't be true! James would never... " Sirius trailed off, his eyes glazing over.

James always hated the Dark Arts except... He said different things when they were alone. When it was just James and Sirius, he'd go on and on about wanting to be a powerful wizard in control.

_Oh God. If this is true, I should've known. I should have realised he was being serious... But this just can't be true! He loved Lily. He loved Harry... _Sirius thought while raking his hand through his hair.

No one else had said anything. Everyone had mortified expressions except for Severus and Dumbledore who both looked somber.

"How did you find out?" Sirius asked, breaking the silence. No one else seemed capable of talking.

"Severus here was-" Dumbledore started but was interrupted by Sirius's shouting.

"You can't honestly trust him! He's always hated James! He'd do anything to make James into the bad guy!" Sirius shouted, pointing at Severus.

As Severus opened his mouth to retort, Harry let out a soft "No".  
Sirius looked at him to see him shaking and crying.

"Please don't argue. Just don't. I saw him today, Sirius. It didn't look like him but it was him." Harry said, tears streaming down his face. Several people walked to him to comfort him but he held up a hand to stop them.

"I can't do this, Professor. I think I'm just going to go to bed."

Hermione and Ron got up from their seats. Hermione was crying as well but Ron just looked shell-shocked.

"Don't follow me. I need to be alone."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly and Severus pulled out two small bottles from his robes.

"Sleeping Draught and Dreamless Sleep." Severus drawled as he held the two bottles out. Harry reached out and took the bottles from him, muttering thanks.

He avoided eye contact with everyone else and walked out of the kitchen. As he ran up the stairs, he could hear several people shouting and someone was hitting the wall.

"FILTHY HALF-BREEDS! BLOOD TRAITORS! SCUM!" the potrait of Walburga Black shrieked.

Oh great. They woke her up.

"Just shut the hell up, you stupid bitch!" Harry shouted.

"HOW DARE YOU-" Her shrieking was cut off by Harry slamming his bedroom door.

He placed the two potions on his bedside table, collapsed onto his bed and started sobbing into his pillow. He couldn't take it. Everyone seemed to want him dead. His own father wanted to kill him.

Everything that happened finally sank in. He felt as though his heart had shattered. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to escape from everyone. Hide somewhere.

No, he couldn't run away. That would just make him seem weak. He would be leaving for Hogwarts soon anyway.

Harry stopped crying almost half an hour later. No one seemed to have left the kitchen yet. He sighed as he finally heard someone walking up the stairs. He hid under his blanket and pretended to be asleep.

""Harry?" Ron called out as he opened the door. "I'm so sorry."

Harry just stayed underneath his blanket. With a sigh, Ron left the room.

_I don't want their pity. I don't need their pity._

_

Harry tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He had an uneasy feeling in his chest like something bad was happening. Ron was already sleeping, snoring softly.  
Harry sat up, frustrated, and reached over to his bedside table. He found two potions bottles. One labelled Dreamless Sleep ; the other Sleeping Draught. He gulped both down and lay back on his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

The Dreamless Sleep, however, did not seem to be working for Harry could still hear those terrifying voices and his scar felt like someone had stabbed it. The voices grew from muffled voices to distinct words.

_"Where is he you stupid Muggle!" A cruel, harsh voice shouted._

_" I swear I don't know, James!" A familiar voice cried._

_"Don't call me that! That person is no longer who I am. I am Prongs. Now, where is he Petunia? That Snape can't tell me but you must know where headquarters is." Prongs said in a spine-chilling voice._

_"Why-why are you doing this? I thought you loved her. I thought you loved H-harry." Aunt Petunia asked, voice hoarse._

_"I thought I did. Foolish of me, really. Now, unless you want to end up like your idiot husband and son, answer my question. WHERE THE HELL IS HE!" Prongs shouted._

_" Just kill me and get it over with then."_

_"Oh, Petunia, you don't think I'd be that nice enough to just kill you. "_

_He paused for a second and the only thing that could be heard was Petunia's whimpers._

_"Nagini. Mind if I play with your food?"_

All this while, Harry could only see darkness but suddenly, he could see his father standing over him. He was on the floor of his aunt and uncle's house and he was right next to his uncle's dead body and his aunt who was kneeling on the floor, shaking. Dudley's dead body was slumped in a corner. Harry's heart was beating rapidly as a soft hiss escaped his lips.

_"Thank you Nagini." Prongs said while staring at Harry._

Then he realised, he _**was **_the snake. He was Nagini.

_Prongs pointed his wand at Vernon Dursley. There was a malicious glint in his eyes as he said to Petunia, "I don't think you should close your eyes for this Tunia. You might want to watch it."_

" _Incendio!"_

_Petunia sobbed as she watched her already dead husband on fire. Prongs just looked at her with smirk on his face._

_"Don't like it Tunia? I'm sorry. Aguamenti!"_

_A jet of water sprayed out of the tip of his wand and the fire stopped but Vernon's skin looked like raw meat._

_"See? It's all better now. So, are you going to tell me where he is?"_

_"I DON'T KNOW!" She screamed._

_Prongs sighed. "I didn't really want to do this but you leave me no choice. SECTUMSEMPRA!"_

_He laughed as Petunia's torso began to bleed profusely and she screamed and cried._

_"Oh, who am I kidding? I _really _wanted to do that."_

_"Please. Just kill me." She whispered in pain._

_"Not yet but don't worry, I'll do it eventually."_

_She whimpered as the wounds on her chest stung._

_"Now, WHERE IS HE?"_

_She just continued whimpering. Prongs's jaw tightened._

_"CRUCIO!"_

_Aunt Petunia shrieked in pain. Prongs was laughing his cruel, sadistic laugh at her and the pain he caused._

_He stopped the curse and smiled._

_"Now. Watch this." He flicked his wand and Dudley's inanimate body rose from the corner and landed in front of Petunia with a soft thud. She wailed as she saw her son's lifeless face._

_"Should I set him ablaze as well? Like father like son?"_

_"Please no! Please just don't..." Prongs laughed at her._

_"You've lost your mind... "_

_Prongs looked at her with a curious expression_ _but his eyes were glinting maliciously._

_"I've lost my mind, yes. Y'know what I always wanted to know? What it would be like to lose your head. Wanna help me find out?"_

_Petunia looked confused and just stared with her fearful eyes._

_"Plea-"_

_"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Prongs screamed and he made a slashing movement at her neck with his wand._  
_A bright red line appeared on her neck and slowly, her body went limp and dropped. Her head rolled over to Harry ; her now dead eyes were still wide open and they seemed to be staring at Harry._

_"Eat, Nagini."_

Everything went dark again and there was complete silence. But slowly, he started to feel hotter. In not long, he was drenched in sweat as he struggled to wake from the nightmare. But he couldn't. The Sleeping Draught was too strong. Then suddenly, he could hear the familiar shrieks of laughter faintly and what sounded like a fire.

He could see it. Number Four, Privet Drive was on fire. Prongs was standing in front of the burning house, laughing like a mad man.

_"I'm going to find you Harry. You're going to die." _

Harry couldn't wake up. No matter how hard he tried. He just stayed in a deep slumber where the only image he could see was his aunt's cold dead eyes staring at him.


End file.
